i don't ride myself...

not in the true sense of the word. i ride on the back. were talking motorcycles here. ever since i was a smalll child i have always loved riding on the back...we're talking at about 5 years old here.  ever since then.

 yesterday i bumped  into my older cousin at a motorcycle rally and my own past memories flooded my conciousness and i was 12 or 13 again and he was riding around town with his two buddies and me on the back of his first motorcycle.  he's been asking me ever since then if i'm riding yet and why not. i don't know why not. i  thought about it of course many times but the older i got the less likely it seemed to be in the cards for me.

they don't make a bike small enough for me.  that's my story and i'm sticking to it besides the guy has never encouraged this activity and in fact has frowned on it because he likes the fact they we ride together and talk while riding and so do i.

yesterday we rode. we rode in a pack. the guy and i rarely do this mostly because we are too busy doing our own thing but riding in a rally is usually for a good  cause...some charity or another and it can be fun to spend time with like minded souls on a beautiful sunny day.  it makes me nervous. it always has. riding with a pack that is.

i've already talked about going from wearing flip flops & a bathing suit to jeans, boots  & leather jacket and every combination in between but even though the helmet and i will forever have an antagonistic relationship it will now be a permanent fixture on my head.  i wasn't riding with one yesterday. until the ride home. back to riding with a pack.  it makes me nervous.

 bikes and noise to the left and to the right and in front and behind kicks my claustrophobia into high gear.  old men in sedans who insist against the direction and hand signals of the traffic cops on driving into the middle of a line of bikes makes me really nervous.  the daughter and cousin dan have found themselves and few friends that they meet up with and ride with at these rallies. good friends. friends who watch their backs.

motorcycling is a risky business.  many...myself included feel the joys and benefits outweigh the risks and we take care as best we can.  no one takes more care than the daughter who rides with helmet and armoured jacket and heavy boots...always. still...things happen.  at the end of the day it is the friends who watch your back and the community of like minded souls who help out when asked that make all the difference.

a broken wrist and cracked ribs will heal. a bike can be repaired. a torn jacket can be replaced. but you can't put a price on good people who watch your back.  riding in a pack still makes me nervous but maybe it's just me. there's a lot to be said for having folks nearby to help out when you need a hand.  i guess this is a tribute to community and cooperation and lets not forget about cell phones and emergency personal who take that extra step which always makes an otherwise difficult ordeal easier to ride through.

so thanks to dan for an even head and craig for finding us when we were off somewhere and riding with us the entire day and dave and lucy for the escort home and all the folks who saw to it that the bike was in good hands and the lady in the van who drove up behind us got out of her vehicle and ran over to us at a stop sign to make sure we turned back and even though he gave us the wrong directions the helicopter pilot for having the foresight to give us the phone number to the er so that the security guy at the er could give us the turn by turn directions right into the parking lot when we were lost and wet and tired and stressed and all those who pulled over or got off their bikes to lend a hand and of course aunt woz on the homefront with the kids.

we are forever grateful. a broken wrist and cracked ribs will heal. a bike can be repaired. a torn jacket can be replaced. you guys can not.  lets keep our fingers crossed for the daughter today that her hosp stay goes well.  we and the kids will be picking cherries. more biker  pics here.  later...love   g

Comments

[donna lee]

It sounds like you had an adventure. And I like the idea of "the pack" having your back. I have always had a secret yearning to ride behind someone on a bike but the opportunity has never presented itself. And I guess I am afraid of my 50 year old bones. I fear for the people I see in shorts and flip flops zooming down the asphalt. I cringe at the the thought of flesh vs asphalt. I hope the broken ribs and wrist are not too painful and am glad someone had your back.

[kat]

it sounds like everything will be relatively okay. i hope!!

[mary]

Oh sounds like fun riding with a group. I hope everything went well.

[bazl]

Great photos & glad to hear you'll be wearing a helmet.